looking backward to goodbye
by hungrywhovianpotterhead
Summary: Jack Harkness got a call, an old woman wanted to tell her story, but couldn't share it with just anyone.


**A/N now I got this idea while watching a preview for the new season of Torchwood, and it wouldn't leave me be, now warning feels could be broken, and tears might be shed**

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(June 12, 2000)

Jack Harkness looked down at the scribbled directions, to Gentle Springs Retirement Community, to be honest he expected a nicer place, and maybe have at least a duck Pond, or hell even grass, not this building in the middle of New York, on the phone the guy sounded like he loved his mother. But he wasn't here to judge, he was here to see an old woman.

With this thought Jack pushed through the door, and made his way to the desk that was located in the middle of the small Lobby. As he approached a petite blonde looked over and smiled, she looked tired, she must have had a rough night last night, "hello sir!" she said chipperly, "can I help you with anything?" she asked.

Jack considered giving her his signature smile and pickup line, but decided he shouldn't the man on the phone, said that time was short, and that his mother needed to tell him something. that was why he caught the first flight out here.

"yes I'm here to see Amelia Williams." she smiled and rose from her seat, "yes of course, but first can I ask what relation you are to Mrs. Williams?" Jack smiled lightly, "she's my aunt." he lied smoothly, knowing that it would look more natural if they thought he was related to her.  
"very well, right this way Mr..." she paused waiting for him to fill in the blank. "Harkness." Jack smiled deciding he could flirt on the way, "Captain Jack Harkness." he held out a hand, and the girl flushed and shook it, "very well, right this way Mr. Harkness." she smiled.

"honestly I'm surprised she has so many family members come and visit her" she said causing Jack to look up, "I mean mostly when people put their parents or other form of relative in here it's to forget them, but not Amy Williams, I swear most people come here and never see their family again, but she's got you, her charming son Anthony, and then you have her daughter..." she trails off, then giggles, "come to think I never did catch her name." "No?" Jack asked feigning interest, "well to be honest I don't know my cousins all that well, and I only ever met aunt Amy once or twice." she shrugged obviously not interested in his background, "well anyway other than that she hasn't had many visitors, well, not since, her husband passed away, about four years ago. He was such a sweet man, he never spoke badly about anyone, where most people get cranky and mean in their old age I swear Rory just got sweeter, I mean never have I seen a man so devoted to his wife, as Mr. Williams, he would show up with flowers, from the garden out back for her everyday, and she would hardly have to say a word, and he would be there beside her hanging on her every word, as though each word she said was golden, it was so sweet, and I swear to god, there was almost nothing that could take him away from her. He took the words till death do we part to a whole new level."

Jack smiled, it sounded so pure, a cosmic love story, he had only seen one love like she had described once, and they hadn't even realized they had it. While this thought was going through his mind the came to a sturdy white door at the end of the hall, she reached out and rapped on it three times, "Mrs. Williams? it's Trisha, you have a visitor. Amy?" Trisha turned the knob and opened the door, "Amy are you awake?"

Jack was almost ready to tell her that he would come back, when a low raspy scottish brogue weathered with age floated out into the hall, "I'm up I don't sleep all the time you know, you can send him in." smiling at Jack Trisha stepped away and allowed Jack to get past her to the room. "I'll be out in the lobby if you need me." she said turning and walking away.

"well come on then." the voice said again, "get in here, and close the door behind you. If you are who I think you are I don't want her listening in, and hearing what I have to say." Jack complied shutting the door gently behind him. glancing around Jack looked for the source of the voice, spotting an elderly woman laying down in a bed, propped up on a mound of pillows, she looked frail, and weak, it was clear what the man meant when he said that time was short. Her wrinkled hands were clasped in front of her, resting lightly on the blankets, her face surrounded by glossy silver hair, was weathered by age, with deep wrinkles throughout, and beyond them, soft, hazel eyes haunted by grief, gazed at him steadily. Looking at her Jack could see that in her day she was very beautiful.

"forgive me if I don't get up, I can't seem to move like I used to." she said with a smile, pulling herself farther up on the pillows. "it's quite all right ma'am, can I ask who you think I am?" Jack asked pulling up a chair and sitting next to her. She smiled, and again Jack thought that in her day she must have been gorgeous. "well I think you're Captain Jack Harkness from Torchwood, the man that River told me to call, the man that will protect this story as though a secret, protect it from the one man alive, it still pertains too." Jack nodded not quite sure what the last part of that meant.

"I am. On the phone, I was told that you had something to tell me? He also told me that time was short." She closed her eyes, as though this was old news to her, "yes you're right, time is short and I must tell my story, before it's lost, before I'm lost." she broke off coughing, "I need to pass it on so it's not forgotten, and I need it to be believed, I chose you because you would listen and believe. I love Anthony, but he never believed that my stories were true, but I know you will." Jack placed a smooth hand over her wrinkled one, while the other hand retrieved the recorder he brought and hit record. "I'll believe Mrs. Williams, and it won't be forgotten. You won't be forgotten." she chuckled and patted his hand, "oh no, no dear, it's not me I'm afraid will be forgotten, it's him, my Raggedy Man, and your belief is why I told Anthony to call you." Jack smiled, it sounded like that was a childs nickname for something, "when I was seven he fell out of the sky." Amy began, "I was in my room praying to Santa of all people to send someone to fix the crack in my wall, and I still believe he sent my Raggedy Man because I no more asked it, when something crashed into my shed, looking out the window all I saw was this enormous box that was smoking, so I ran outside to see what was going on." Jack nodded noting the small tear that was running down her cheek. "when I got there, the box flew open and he popped out and said to me, `can I have an apple? All I can think about. Apples. I love apples. Maybe I'm having a craving? That's new. Never had cravings before.` he was the most peculiar man I had ever seen, a man in torn clothes climbing out of a tipped over Police Box" Amy stopped and chuckled, "he told me he had fallen all the way to the library, but he was soaked, when I asked him, he then told me he was in the pool, turns out the pool was in the library."

Jacks eyes widen when what she's saying registers, "now naturally at the age of seven I asked him if he was a policeman, and if he had come about my wall. Then he fell off his box and told me it was all normal, even when wierd gold light came out of his mouth. I asked him who he was and he told me he didn't know, he was still cooking he told me, and then he asked if the crack scared me," Jack was tempted to ask her what his name was, but decided he should wait, that she would tell him in her own time, she had a faraway look in her eyes, as though she was back in time where she was seven years old.

"I told him it did. Then he got up off the ground, looking quite a bit like a baby giraffe and said `Well then, no time to lose. I'm the Doctor. Do everything I tell you, don't ask stupid questions, and don't wander off.` and promptly ran into a tree." Jack laughed, imagining big ears doing what she just explained to him.  
Amy smiled glad to get a reaction.

"what happened next?" Jack asked genuinely curious, Amy smiled at him warmly, "I can tell by the look on your face, you know him don't you." she said patting his hand again, "yeah I travelled with him a few years back. he left me behind, thank god I had this." Jack said holding up his arm, revealing a vortex manipulator. Amy released a small gasp, "River has one of those." Jack smiled, "yeah but mine's broke." he admitted dropping his hand to his lap.

"I see" Amy said nodding, "well back to the story right?" Amy told Jack the story of her and the Doctor, of her adventures in time and space, and even when the sun set outside her window, Amy did not slow down unless Jack told her he needed to change the tape, but then continued with a sense of urgency she only paused a little when she told him about Utah and what happened there, and again when she reached the part about the birth of her daughter, and when she discovered who the woman she had been travelling on and off with really was, then she nearly broke when she reached the part when they went to New York, and when they met the Angels "I'll never forget the sound of his voice that day as he was saying `Come along, Pond, please.`and hearing River barely holding back tears, trying to be the strong one again." Amy broke off a sob caught in her throat. Jack squeezed her hand soothingly, it was clear that telling this story was taking it's toll on her, "it's okay Amy." he whispered.

Amy nodded the movement oddly slow and sluggish, her breathing slowing, "Jack." she said, Jack leaned in closer, "thank you, and if you see him, tell him I said..." she trailed off, "tell him I said goodbye, goodbye my Raggedy Doctor." Jack nodded, knowing what was happening he held her hand, "I'll stay." he told her gently, "I'll stay." Amy smiled, "thank you" her eyes fluttered closed and her chest ceased it's steady movement, with a small whisper, and the last words Amelia Williams ever said was not to the immortal sitting beside her, but to the man who waited smiling on the other side as young as he was the day she found him in nineteen thirty-eight, and those words were, "Rory here I come" those words were heard by Jack, but he knew they were not for his ears, but for ears four years gone, "I'll tell him" Jack whispered releasing her hand as the door flew open and Trisha ran in, a hand fluttering across her mouth as she checked for vitals that had left before the doorknob had even turned.

It took Jack a while to register that there was a monitor sounding out a loud dragged out beep, to register that, this was how Trisha knew to come running, Jack got up from the chair he had pulled to her bedside and stepped out of the way, turning he spotted a picture sitting on the table, of a young ginger woman with soft hazel eyes, not yet haunted by grief face not yet weathered by age, standing in the arms of a young man, a little boy who's face was hidden from sight in her skirts. Bending down Jack collected the frame, and tucking it into the pocket with the tapes, and recorder, an old woman's entire life story, tucked into the pocket of a time traveler.

(Amy Pond date of death September 29, 2012)

(Amelia Williams date of death June 13, 2000)

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**and there you go I hope I didn't make it to sad, I'll admit I nearly cried while writing it**

**Doctor hugs to all of my brilliantly fantastic readers, until next time Allons-y!**


End file.
